H268 - 2026 Budget Technical Corrections - II. (SL 2026-61)

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Session Year 2024

Overview: Section 3.12 of S.L. 2026-61 (House Bill 268) establishes the North Carolina High School Redesign Commission (Redesign Commission) to study and recommend changes to policies and systems governing high school and higher education to better prepare the State's students for success as they transition to higher education or the workforce. The Redesign Commission will have 15 members appointed by different entities to terms lasting until the Commission terminates. The Redesign Commission will be located administratively in the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) but be independent of DPI.  

The Redesign Commission must study promising practices in North Carolina and nationally, including the following:

  • Flexible requirements for high school diplomas that are relevant to skills needed for the workforce. 
  • Access to work-based learning experiences and opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials in high school.
  • Personalized pathways to satisfy core graduation requirements.
  • Competency-based alternatives to time-bound courses, including modular credit-bearing alternatives to semester or yearlong courses and strategies for extended learning via community connected experiences. 
  • Uses of artificial intelligence to expand opportunities for career exploration and work-based learning experiences. 
  • Alternative funding models. 
  • Career exploration opportunities for middle school students and students in the first two years of high school.
  • In partnership with the Office of Learning Research at the North Carolina Collaboratory, the evaluation of programs and initiatives that are redesigning high school in the State. 

The Redesign Commission must submit a report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by April 30, 2027, and annually thereafter, with recommendations and a summary of any evaluations of high school redesign efforts and competency-based programs implemented during that school year.  The Redesign Commission terminates on June 30, 2031, or upon the filing of its final annual report, whichever occurs first.

This section became effective July 1, 2026.

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